Honorable Maid
by BKK
Summary: May 23: It's done! Audrey of Kasnia is getting married again. Both Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne are on the guest list. Between a rouge chemistry department and an attentive best man, will either they or their relationship survive?
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Insert normal disclaimers here, please. Again, while not a sequel to either of my other stories, since I thought of it after the others, it is next in the series of my Batman/Wonder Woman relationship pieces.

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Chapter 1:

_What you are/Is missing a piece/What you are/Is a puzzle to me_: Dave Matthews Band

She had said that she would be in the cave when he returned from patrol. She was not. In the world of super heroes, being late for an appointment was neither unusual or note-worthy. However, Batman had been looking forward to seeing her.

_You've got work to do anyway,_ he thought. His post-patrol routine had changed of late from processing and restocking to romps with his Amazonian princess and it was probably too regular for either of them to get any work done. So, he processed and he restocked and considered recently crime trends, looking for a pattern.

When he was done, the clock suggested it was nearly sunrise. He quickly calculated how much sleep he could get before he was due for his first Wayne Enterprise meeting. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

_It's been worse,_ he thought.

He stood, removed his cowl and prepared to enter the mansion when he heard Diana coming through her normal entrance.

"Good morning, Princess," he said before he could actually see her.

"How do you do it?" she asked, walking into the cave. She was wearing a short blue dress that accented her eyes perfectly and a matching pair of strappy sandals. "How do you stay up all day and then all night? I could sleep for a week and I slept well last night."

She kissed him gently and sat down in an empty chair. She slipped her shoes off so that they were only on her toes and began to rub her ankles.

"First of all, I do not go out with Queen Audrey," he said dryly, "which makes a difference."

"And second?"

"I wear more comfortable shoes."

Diana laughed. "Oh, that reminds me," she said. She opened her handbag and handed Batman a cream envelope. "Batman has been invited to Audrey's wedding. She asked me to see that you got it. You and I are the only two League members invited. Lantern and J'onn will probably be relieved but Flash will be heart broken."

The Dark Knight held the envelope as if he thought it might explode. "She doesn't expect me to accept, does she?"

Diana looked serious. "Of course she does. But don't go. I am convinced she is going to try to unmask you. I may be wrong but don't risk it."

He glared at her. Diana shrugged her shoulders.

"When it comes to parties, she is as spoiled as she was when I met her. In a lot of ways, she has grown up and matured, but not in terms of this wedding. She is marrying for love and she wants the party of the century. She is going to do whatever it takes to make it unforgettable. Repercussions really don't bother her."

"That is what worries me."

He was never pushed on the topic, but if he was, Bruce Wayne would have to admit that he believed that as a country, Kasnia was more trouble than it was worth. The same could be said for its queen. She and Diana were good friends and violent conflicts in Kasnia had reduced dramatically in number but there too much trouble per square mile coming out of the country.

Queen Audrey had recently become engaged to Prince Gergely who was the second in line for the throne of Kasnia's Southern neighbor. He was of noble birth but there was little risk of his becoming king of his home country and therefore, there were no obvious problems with the two of them marrying. The rebels in the north were displeased that she was marrying someone with what appeared to be sympathetic ties to the southern fighters but no formal protests had arisen from the announcement.

Diana was asked to be a member of the wedding party – a move that even Diana acknowledged was as much to generate buzz as a sign of their friendship but she accepted. Audrey clearly meant to use the wedding as a means to get positive coverage for the country.

"Well, please don't see anything in this, but I am going to say good night," Diana said standing up. "I am exhausted, I smell like cigarette smoke and heaven only knows what else and I need to get out of these shoes. Can I get a rain check on tonight?"

Batman kissed her tenderly. "You could use a shower," he agreed.

Diana glared at him then smiled and left the same way she came in. Batman was asleep 15 minutes later.

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When Alfred entered Bruce's bedroom later that morning with coffee and the paper, there was a cream-colored envelope on top of the newspaper. This one, with its striking resemblance to the invitation Diana had given him last night, was addressed to Bruce Wayne.

"She must have invited the Forbes Top 100," he said to Alfred when he opened the invitation and confirmed what he already knew. He was invited to a royal wedding. And he was invited to a tour of new and improved research facilities at Kasnia University the morning before the ceremony. He looked at the special insert and smiled at Alfred.

"I'll bet Batman didn't get invited to the tour," he said reaching for his coffee.

"I suspect you are right, sir," Alfred said. "Will you be attending then?"

Bruce considered for a moment. It was an excuse to check out how things were going in Kasnia and perhaps curb any trouble before it started. And the more Diana and Bruce Wayne were seen meeting together in public, the better it would be should a time come when they wanted to go public with their relationship.

_When _you_ want to go public_, his inner voice corrected.

"Assuming my calendar isn't too crowded, I will go," he said. "I ought to talk to some of the Wayne Enterprise researchers to see if there is anything worth investing in at Kasnia University."

"Very good, sir. Shall I handle the gift arrangements?"

"Wait until after I speak to the researchers. If I am going to spend a lot of money at the university, that is going to have to do as their gift."

"Very good, sir," Alfred said and left Bruce to begin his morning routine.

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"Are you kidding me? I nearly died because of that stupid country and I don't get an invite?" Flash hollered at the staff meeting later that evening. Diana had mentioned the invitation and had asked if there was anything in Kasnia that might be worth investigating while she was there.

"Flash! That isn't why we do things," Green Lantern barked at the Speedster. When Flash pouted, Lantern sighed. "Go as Diana's date. I, however, am glad to be spared."

"Oh! That's a great idea. Can I?" Flash asked Diana.

She gave Lantern a dirty look but then turned to Flash. "I am not allowed to bring a date. The best man, Andris, is single and so Audrey wants me to keep him company."

"What do we know about the wedding party?" Batman asked. Since no one knew of anything in Kasnia worthy of note, he hadn't mentioned his invitations. In fact that was the first thing he had said at the meeting, now 45 minutes old.

Superman turned to Batman. "That is a good point. We probably ought to check them out. Queen Audrey has surrounded herself with questionable people in the past."

"Excuse me?" Diana said, half-joking.

"Present company excluded, of course," Superman amended.

"I don't know the entire group, but I can easily find out," Diana offered.

"Everyone needs to keep their ears open about Kasnia. With that country, just because we don't know something is going on doesn't mean there isn't anything going on," Superman said.

"Can I get an 'amen'?" Flash said with a sly grin.


	2. Chapter 2

When he was starting out as Batman, Bruce spent an absurd amount of time in the research labs of Wayne Enterprises, often after normal business hours. These days, he monitored what was going on and was able to access what he wanted. It was a more efficient system, to be sure, although not as much fun.

So, when he called a meeting of the heads of the various research divisions, he scheduled the meeting in the conference room down in the labs. He had said it was because it was easier for him to come to them than for all of them to come to him and that was true, but mostly, he wanted to visit the labs and this was the first excuse that had presented itself in a while.

It was a 10-person conference room so Bruce had been select in the heads he had invited after he sent out an inquiry about Kasnia University research to all the heads. Usually, ego-stroking was not important to Bruce but he had worked hard to get the best researchers he could find and he didn't want anyone disgruntled because they didn't get to meet with the boss.

"All right," he said bringing the meeting to order. "I have been invited to Kasnia for the royal wedding and the university to see the research they want to show me. My question for you is what should I be looking for and if given the opportunity, is there something worth investing in?"

Heads turned as they considered. After a moment, one of the researchers, Rachana Meyers spoke.

"They have a guy in the chemistry department there that publishes quite a bit," she said. "He works with gases. Emil Peterlin is his name. I've read a lot of his work and I think there is a lot of potential there with distribution methods."

There were several researchers who nodded in agreement. Dr. Peterlin's partner and nanotechnologist, Yuri Rasmussen, also was submitted as someone of note. The general consensus was that the prolonged civil war had hurt the school's ability to attract major researchers, something that Bruce had suspected.

On his way back to the office after the meeting, Bruce reflected on what a nanotechnologist and chemist might be working on together. He didn't like options. Before patrol, he decided, he would spend some quality time researching those two.

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"The country's colors are black and red, darling. And you are the only one who can wear red. So, you have to be the maid of honor," Audrey told Diana matter-of-factly. They were sitting in the receiving room of the rebuilt palace looking at dress options.

"Audrey, I'm honored, really, but I can't do half the things the maid of honor is suppose to do. You know how my schedule is," Diana answered.

"Let me decide what you are to do, all right?" Audrey said quickly. "Besides, at the moment, the most important thing is that you look good in red. And you will save me from having to choose one from the rest of the bridesmaids. A duller group of women you have never met."

"Who are they?" Diana sensed she had an opening and was going to take it.

"Daughters of noble Kasnian birth," she answered. "It is the same with the groomsmen. Other than Andris, who is a friend of Gergely from forever ago, they are sons of his country's nobility."

Another batch of dresses came in and the two women began to look at them. Diana was trying hard to care but she had been looking at dresses for two hours and they were all beginning to look the same. Although Audrey had excellent taste, the style of bridesmaids' dresses was not one that appealed to Diana anyway.

"So, when do I get to meet them?" Diana asked innocently, flipping through dresses.

Audrey looked up from a sample. "Who?"

"The dull daughters and sons of nobility?"

"Do you want to? Really? Why on earth would you?" Audrey seemed legitimately surprised.

"Well, certainly the bridesmaids. If I am going to have to make sure they stay in line, I need to know who they are before we all lead you down the aisle, right?"

Audrey nodded. Diana sighed. She felt a little guilty not being direct with her friend but she couldn't think of a way to be completely honest and actually get the information she needed. Once she met the groom-to-be, she would get a better feel on whether or not she needed to worry about him.

"I'll make sure you leave with their names and contact information today," Audrey said. "Now, what do you think about this one?"

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Diana had made a copy of the bridesmaid contact information but brought the original to the Batcave a few hours before Batman usually started his patrol. He was sitting in his pre-patrol Batman costume minus the cowl at his computer scrolling through information at a frightful pace. Diana wondered for a moment how quickly he could read. She leaned over him and gave him a kiss on the cheek in greeting. He squeezed her hand, but was clearly focused on his work.

"I have the bridesmaid information," she said depositing the page to one side of his work station. "The groomsmen are going to take a little longer. But I did add the information on the groom and the best man. None of the men in the bridal party are from Kasnia though."

"Emil Peterlin? Sound familiar?"

Diana considered for a moment. "No. Who is he?"

"A chemist. In Kasnia."

"Trouble?"

"Maybe. I'll know for sure in an hour. Audrey mention him at all?"

Diana sighed. "I think you can safely assume that until this wedding is over, Audrey and I will not talk about anything but the wedding. I can tell you about the bridesmaid dress. I can tell you about the bridesmaid shoes. But a university chemist? Unless he is making the bridesmaids' perfume, I doubt he is going to come into the conversation."

"Try."

"All right, but the chances of her knowing what his research is on is so small, it is barely worth mentioning."

When there was no answer, she sighed again. "Maybe he is on the guest list."

"He should be on the university tour."

Diana looked at him. "What university tour?"

"The one Bruce Wayne was invited to attend before the wedding."

"Bruce Wayne is going to the wedding?" Diana asked the joy clear in her voice. "Really? You're going to be there?"

"Apparently."

"That is the best news I've heard all day. Well, no, that I wasn't going to have to wear a hat or gloves at the wedding was the best news I've gotten today but this is a close second. I'll make sure I save you a dance."

He smiled and after clicking a few keys, the screen went blank and he turned in his chair to face her.

"Gloves?"

She smiled. "Red lace gloves. I am sure they would work on some people but not me."

"No, I wouldn't think so," he said lightly and with some disgust.

She laughed. "I didn't appreciate that the lace matched the trim on the dress."

"Then, I am surprised she is keeping you on as a bridesmaid," he said with a smile.

"Oh, no, I am the maid of honor now. I've been promoted."

The smile stayed on Bruce's face but it left his eyes. "Congratulations," he said. Diana saw the expression change but didn't comment. She did take it as her cue to leave.

"You've got patrol and I am desperately overdue for a work-out," Diana said. "So, I will leave you so we can both do what we need to do. I am free tomorrow night if you want to take advantage of the rain check." She ran her fingers up his arm as she spoke. She had learned how to flirt quickly, mostly by watching the other female League members.

"Should work. I'll know tomorrow."

"All right. I have a monitor duty shift but I available most of the day."

He nodded silently but kissed her back with equal tenderness when she kissed him good-bye.

When she left, he reactivated the computer and grabbed the list. "Okay, best man; let's see what your story is."

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"Outside call for you, Wonder Woman," said Flash through his communicator. He was on a monitor watch shift. In fact, Diana was due to take over in an hour. "And it's a boy."

She was in the food area, grabbing a quick bite before her shift. With that as the opening, she knew it wasn't Bruce but couldn't think of another male who would contact her.

"Ah, okay," she said, confused. She waited a moment and then said "Hello. This is Diana."

"Diana," came a heavily accented voice. "This is Andris. Audrey gave me your number; I hope that is all right."

Actually, it wasn't all right, but she would take that up with Audrey later.

"As long as you don't start handing it out, it is no problem at all," she said with more anger than she had intended.

"Oh, of course. I understand completely."

Diana closed her eyes. Of course he would – he was nobility and was used to the idea of protecting privacy.

"Yes, I am sure you do. I'm sorry. What do you need?" she asked, forcing her voice to be bright.

"Audrey and Gergely want to combine the bachelor/bachelorette parties. I guess they are both nervous about what the other might do, so I thought it would make sense for us to plan it together. Although really, I suspect all we need to do is pick a city and find the street with the best clubs."

Diana laughed. He was completely right.

"Do you know where they met," Diana asked.

"Actually, London, I believe," he answered.

"Well, then I think we have our city. Shall we meet to discuss the particulars?"

"That would be great. Ah, my place or yours?"

"Yours," Diana answered quickly.

"Ah, yes, sorry. Mere mortals are not allowed in your place, I assume."

That was easier than explaining that she didn't want to be teased by all the League members.

"There are strict security guidelines, yes," she answered honestly.

They arranged for her to come to his house the following day. Andris assured her that he was familiar with the London night scene but Diana thought she would ask Bruce if he had some thoughts. She did not want to appear completely ignorant of what was available.

She was a few minutes early to monitor duty because she knew Flash would want to tease her. He did, and she teased back, telling him that a duke had invited her to his castle to talk about experiencing the London night life together. His answer made her laugh out loud.

"It is common knowledge that dukes are only after one thing. You should go with me. I am completely honorable," he said with a grin.

After she was done laughing, she looked at him with an affectionate grin. "You are, though," she said to him as he left the room.

Clearly pleased, he winked at her before the door shut completely.

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Bruce called while she was on monitor duty.

"Dinner?" he asked, in place of a greeting.

"Absolutely," Diana responded with a smile.

"Seven?"

"I'll be there," she said. She realized he would think the conversation was over and hang up if she didn't ask him about London right away. "Do you know any good clubs in London?"

There was a pause as he waited for an explanation.

"For the bachelor/bachelorette party. Andris and I are going to plan it but we've decided it should be in London. That's where Audrey and Gergely met."

There was a dark pause which Diana could not understand. She had noticed that Bruce was less than thrilled about the wedding but she could not figure out why.

"Yes. I do."

"Great. Can I get a list from you tonight? I am meeting with Andris tomorrow."

"Yes," the darkness was now in his voice. Diana smirked. She would get to the bottom of this issue soon enough, but at the moment, she would just distract him.

"Oh, Bruce, about tonight, should I bring the jet?"

That was their code. If Bruce wanted Diana to be there after his patrol, she would fly down in the jet. It protected their relationship as she wouldn't have to use the transport, which did record where the person was arriving from. And it gave Diana some control over how often she stayed overnight at the manor.

"Yes," he said, the dark mood instantly vanished.

_Men_, she thought with a smile after they ended the call. _Even the smart ones can be such fools. _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Where are you going?/With the long face pulling down/Don't hide away like the ocean/That you can't see/But you can smell_: Dave Matthews Band

_Is there anything better than waking up and having an Amazon princess curled up next to you?_ Bruce wondered. In his typical fashion, his mind offered a few possibilities which he instantly ignored. He was just going to enjoy the moment.

Her breathing pattern told him that she was awake, so he nuzzled the back of her head.

"Good morning, princess," he said softly.

She chuckled and backed up even closer to him. "Sometimes you make 'princess' a term of endearment and sometimes you make it sound like an insult. I am amazed with what you can do with one title."

"It's a gift," he answered. "What's on your schedule for today?"

"Planning the bachelor/bachelorette party," she said with a moan of disgust. "The wedding is still a month away and I am already tired of it. I'm due to meet Andris to plan it early this afternoon."

"Don't go. Stay here today," he said in a voice full of promise.

Diana turned to look at him, the doubt clear in her eye. "You have a day with nothing to do?"

"I could."

"What would we do?"

"Well, we could stay here all day," he said kissing her gently. "And see what happens."

"That sounds perfect," she said with a smile. "But, I am having trouble believing you are capable of doing nothing for a day."

"Not nothing," Bruce said with another kiss. "I would give you my undivided attention all day."

She looked at him, a mix of doubt and desire on her face. "I should take you up on your offer just to see how long you could last. But I am sure in a few hours, that brain would make some connection that required your immediate attention."

Bruce pretended to look hurt and Diana gave him a playful smack on the chest which he returned. The play wrestling grew more intense and another hour passed.

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Diana would never say "I told you so" to Bruce usually because it would be pointless. But, she reflected as she started the invisible jet, it didn't mean she wasn't occasional tempted. They were sharing breakfast in bed and reading the paper together when Bruce got the "aha!" look. It actually was a full-body expression. His back tensed and straightened, his eyes narrowed and then widened and his head tilted just a tiny bit. And then, slowly, a grin spread across his face that always reminded Diana of the expression "the cat who ate the canary."

He looked at her and smiled, lightly smacking the paper. "That's what happens when the bastards think I am not watching," he said. He stood up and threw on his robe. "I'll be in the cave." He kissed her and rushed out of the bedroom.

She looked at the clock on the bedside table. Three hours since he had said she would have his undivided attention for an entire day. Better than she had thought he would do, actually.

It wasn't because he didn't love her, at least in the only way he knew how, she knew as she adjusted her heading towards Andris' estate. But he was Gotham's protector and that took priority in his mind and heart. She respected him for it and his consistency. It was important to have something to fight for.

She had taken her time getting out of bed and when she was ready to leave, she went down to the cave where she found him lost in thought. She kissed him goodbye. He grunted an acknowledgement but did not look up from his work.

_It could be worse_, she thought with a smile. _ He gave me a list of London clubs._

She had been completely honest with Bruce. The excitement she had felt at getting to help plan Audrey's wedding had long since dwindled. It was all about looking right and having the right people there and being at the right place and eating the right thing and it was just infuriating. And, for someone who had never thought in those terms before, quite boring.

Audrey's less-than-subtle attempt to set-up Diana with Andris also was serving as an area of contention for the Amazon, primarily because she thought it was part of the same line of thinking, that Diana and Andris were two "right" people who ought to be together simply because they were part of the wedding. He seemed harmless enough on the phone and probably would prove to be in person as well.

And as long as she was going to be completely honest, she needed to acknowledge that being set-up was bothering her because she was in a relationship that seemed to be going well except for the fact that she couldn't tell anyone about it. She respected and understood the reasons for the secrecy but it made situations like this awkward.

_But really, how often is this going to happen,_ she thought as began the landing sequence.

Andris lived on what looked like a European country manor. It was, however, only a dozen miles outside a major city which, while it did not take away from the beauty of the home, did cause Diana to smile. Clearly someone was trying to get the best of both worlds and had enough money and influence to make it happen.

She landed in a field to the side of the home and was met by a tall man with blond hair and deep green eyes. He was dressed casually but at the height of fashion. He was strong but lean, with a swimmer's build. Diana found herself hoping this was Andris.

"Wonder Woman, I presume," he said and with those words confirmed that he was Andris.

_Well, when she gets to pick her own, Audrey has excellent taste in men_, she thought.

"Call me Diana. I am off duty today," she said warmly. "Shall I call you Andris or is there something else you'd prefer?"

"No, like you, I am off duty today. Andris would be fine."

Diana simply smiled and let Andris lead her into the house. Despite the look on the outside, the inside was modern and simply decorated. Although the marble on the floors and the dark wood paneling suggested that it had not always looked that way.

He led her to a study and motioned her to an overstuffed chair. On the coffee table to the side were several dog-eared travel guides to London and a few maps. Diana added the list of clubs Bruce had given her to the pile. Andris sat down in another chair on the other side of the coffee table.

"I think you are right about London," he said. "I also think that the happy couple is going to wander off of any plan we put together. However, we would be fools to not have a suggestion for the evening in order to keep some sort of control."

Diana laughed. She agreed completely with the situation.

When she left six hours later, they had an itinerary put together for the party the following weekend. There were a few details they needed to finalize but for the most part, the task was done. Diana, pleased with the plan, returned to the Watchtower.

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Diana had just returned to her room when Audrey called.

"Darling! What did you do? Andris called Gergely about this stunning, intelligent woman he spent the day with. He even said he was stunned that I could have such a friend!" Audrey laughed.

"I didn't do anything. We planned your party," Diana answered. The warm feeling of pleasure suddenly turned to a rock in the pit of her stomach.

"You did something. He is smitten. Be gentle, my friend," Audrey said with another laugh.

Diana quickly changed the subject and got Audrey off the line a few moments later. For several minutes, Diana stood still, replaying the day in her mind for signs of anything. She could think of none. She didn't want to lead Andris on, that was wrong.

_Oh Aphrodite, help me, _Diana thought desperately.

Aphrodite responded with a perfect, wonderful idea.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_I find sometimes it's easy to be myself/Sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else:_ Dave Matthews Band

Upon entering the conference room, Batman was not immediately sure which was stranger, that Flash had gotten to the meeting before him or that the Speedster was sitting with Diana and laughing over a section of the newspaper that was clearly neither the comics nor the sports section.

There was also a third possibility that hearing Diana giggle like a 12-year-old girl was the strangest. She was having a hard time breathing she was laughing so hard.

"Good afternoon," Diana said between giggles. "You have to look at this."

Flash slide the newspaper over to him. "Diana is about to run off with a duke," Flash added with a cocky grin.

Diana burst into another fit of giggles.

Batman found himself looking at a photograph of Diana and a man he knew to be Andris. The photo was snapped with those two in a similar pose to Flash and Diana – they were sitting at a table, although that table was clearly at a club, Diana was laughing and Andris was smiling at her. The caption under the photo suggested that the Amazon had finally fallen to the charm of a man and mentioned that the two were part of the Kasnian royal wedding party. The caption also gleefully pointed out that Andris was single again after breaking off a four-year relationship six months before and that Wonder Woman had never been romantically linked with anyone.

Unlike the scene in front of him however, Andris was looking at Diana as if he was looking at an angel. Batman felt his jaw tense in an instinctual response.

It took all the self-control he had to not wad the newspaper into a little ball and throw it against the wall before going to have a chat with Andris. He silently counted to five as he suppressed an emotion he was _not_ going to admit to and slide the page back.

"Agenda item?" he asked coldly.

"Only if you have a vaccine for 'male charm'," Diana said and started laughing again.

"If anyone did," Flash said which sent Diana into another fit of laughter.

_This isn't right_, Batman thought. _She's not acting right. _

He thought about leaving the room and then thought the better of it. He could observe her and get the opinion he needed.

_J'onn?_ he thought, visualizing the Martian telepath.

_Yes, Batman?_ came the response.

_I could use a confirmation of Diana's mental state._

There was a pause.

_She is herself. But she is unusually_; there was another pause as J'onn searched for the right word.

_Amused? _Batman suggested.

_Yes. _

It was that moment that Superman walked in with Green Lantern. They both looked at the giggling Diana. J'onn followed a moment later.

"Diana, are you drunk?" Lantern asked.

"No!" she said, sounding insulted by the notion. The laughter stopped immediately. "Believe me, if you had been at the party last night, you would think this was funny too." She slid the newspaper over to them.

Superman took a look at it and smiled. "Not in love with the duke, are you?"

Diana didn't answer, but she threw Superman a look that was enough like herself that Batman began to wonder if he had made it up. He looked at J'onn.

_The amusement is gone. _J'onn confirmed to Batman.

_But it was there?_

_She was herself. She is herself now. But something could have affected her without leaving a residual marker. The amusement was natural; it was more intense than normal._

Batman nodded and sat down at the conference table. Within moments, Superman called the meeting to order. Batman looked again at Diana. She was acting perfectly normal.

_But something wasn't right_, he thought.

"Batman, you said you found some things out about Kasnia," Superman said and turned over the floor to the Dark Knight.

"Emil Peterlin is a chemist in Kasnia. He is spending a lot more money than he is making, if you believe the reports."

"Since you obviously don't," Superman said, "what do you think is going on?"

"He is getting money for work he is not reporting. Which means someone doesn't want anyone knowing about it."

"In a university?" Lantern asked. "Aren't they legally required to report all their grant money?"

"He isn't," Batman retorted. "His collaborator, the nanotechnologist, Yuri Rasmussen isn't either."

"Yuri is very popular with Audrey," Diana said. "He has some vague, at least to Audrey, connection to her future husband. He was invited be in the wedding party but declined. But he was at the bachelor party last night."

"That would have been good to know," Batman said dryly.

"You asked me about Emil Peterlin," Diana said. "And I told you that Audrey has no idea who is he or what he is doing."

Batman glared at her. Diana glared back. "If I don't know the persons of interest, I can't be much use," Diana said.

Flash snorted which earned a glare from both Batman and Diana.

Although the Dark Knight filed her earlier behavior away for future consideration, he acknowledged to himself that whatever had impacted her was gone now.

"All right, well, Diana, apparently he is of interest," Superman said, ever the peace maker. "Perhaps you can get some more information on this vague connection. Maybe we are looking at the wrong government."

Diana nodded in agreement.

Batman realized he was going to have to tell them all about his invitation.

"Bruce Wayne has been invited to the wedding. There is a university tour the morning of the ceremony. Rich industrialists have been invited in an effort to inspire us to invest in the university."

"Wait!" Flash said angrily. "You're going too?!"

"My checkbook doesn't travel without me."

"Oh, hey! Can I be your date?" Flash asked and then paused. His face turned bright red. "That's not what I meant," he said quickly.

Lantern started to laugh. Flash looked at him and blushed harder.

"As an assistant or something," Flash said trying to explain but when he saw the look on Batman's face, he just fell silent. Diana gently patted his hand.

"But you think that these two will be on the tour," Superman said trying to get the meeting back on track.

"Yes," Batman answered. "And I will return during the reception."

"I can't leave the reception without causing notice," Diana said. "But I'll wear my communicator in case you need me."

He looked at her, silently expressing what he thought about his chances of needing back-up.

"I'll wear it anyway," she said and smiled at him.

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"Yuri?" Audrey asked in response to Diana's question about him. "Oh, Diana why are you interested in him? Andris will be heart-broken."

"I'm not interested in him. Batman asked me to ask you about him," Diana answered.

The two were sitting in Audrey's castle. It was the final fitting of both Audrey's and Diana's dresses. Diana was standing on a small platform in her dress. A seamstress was walking around her making some small adjustments to the dress' fit. Audrey was watching from a nearby sofa awaiting her turn.

"Why is Batman interested in him?"

"He is interested in nanotechnology. And when I said Yuri was at the party last night, he was wondering how Yuri was connected to Gergely."

"Well, I am shouldn't discuss it," Audrey said. Diana knew the queen well enough that just because she shouldn't discuss it didn't mean she wouldn't discuss it. She just needed some incentive.

"Oh, really? That sounds juicy."

"Oh, it is!" Audrey cried. "He is Gergely's older half brother and illegitimate. His mother was a scientist and she raised him but the king, who already had two older legitimate sons, acknowledged him and made sure he spent time at the castle. Apparently, they are all very friendly. I told Gergely that I would not be as understanding as his mother." Audrey laughed. "But darling, you haven't said anything about Andris."

"What could I possible say about him that you don't already know," Diana said. "I don't know him nearly as well as you do."

_And he is has no warrior spirit at all. Although there is something to be said for an issue-free man_, she thought.

"Well, the opportunity for that to change in just two weeks. Can you believe it?" Audrey said cheerfully.

Once the dress fittings were complete, Diana transported back to the Watchtower and called Batman on the communicator to tell him what she learned about Yuri.

"That is the relationship, but there is clearly more that she doesn't know. Yuri, if legitimate, would have been in Gergely's position – third in line for the throne. It is not as if Yuri could have been the crown prince," Diana said. "There was no need for him to leave the country."

"As son of a king, he could have ruled his homeland's university rather than be second fiddle at another one," Batman replied as way of agreement.

There was a pause as the two of them considered.

"Stopping by?" Batman asked gently.

"No," Diana said with a hint of regret. "I have three monitor shifts in a row tonight. I have had to reschedule them like crazy with all of this wedding planning."

"Let the rookies handle it. It builds character."

"Not exactly the team concept we are trying to promote," Diana said.

There was a silence, but Diana could have sworn she heard Batman roll his eyes at "team concept."

"You're spending too much with Kent," he said finally.

"Funny, he says the same thing about you," she responded.

"He's wrong. You aren't spending nearly enough time with me."

"That's true," she said. "Two weeks until this wedding is over and my schedule is mine again."

There was another pause. Diana felt that he was considering saying something.

"When's your next wedding obligation?"

"Saturday night. There is a 'last Saturday of being single' party at the castle. Then nothing until the rehearsal the following Friday."

"Stop by after the party Saturday," he said grimly. Diana paused, that was the business voice, not the usual way that he asked her to stop by.

"I'll try."

"Do it."

"Why?"

He paused and this time Diana knew there was something he wasn't telling her. "I need a reason to see you?" he countered.

"Bruce," Diana said, the warning in her voice was clear.

"Because Yuri will be there," Bruce answered with a tone of surrender that Diana knew he didn't mean. "You can tell me more about him."

Diana considered. He wasn't lying to her but he was omitting something.

"All right, monitor duty waits. Have a successful patrol."

"I will. Princess, I do miss you," he said gently.

She smiled as her heart warmed a little.

"Me too," she said. The two disconnected and Diana went to the Monitor Womb.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Let me walk with you, maybe I could say/Maybe talk with you, open up/And let me through/Don't walk away_: Dave Matthews Band

Whether she was or not, it was very rare that Diana ever felt beautiful. There were a lot of reasons for that. One, like most stunningly beautiful women, it was something she never thought about. Two, her chosen position in life put more emphasis on power, intelligence, strength and quick reflexes than appearance.

But, as she entered the Batcave after the "last Saturday" party, she felt beautiful and she was enjoying it.

She saw Bruce sitting at his computer, cowl off, pretending he wasn't waiting for her. She smiled. As often as she wanted to tell him he was simply too much work, she wanted to never leave his side. She enjoyed that conflicted feeling more than she ought to.

"'Evening princess," Bruce said without looking at her.

"I think it is morning now," she said with a laugh. "I have become quite a night owl."

"Indeed," came the response. Again, without him moving his head in her direction.

_Well, be that way,_ Diana thought with a smile. _I'll show you. _

"You'll never believe it," Diana said as she slide over him and gave him a deep kiss. "There really is a bridesmaid perfume." She waived the small bottle at him, laughing. "It goes with the groomsman cologne."

Bruce looked at her as if she had just struck him. But, Diana noted with a victorious laugh, he was looking at her.

"Are you wearing it now?" he asked. Diana could hear the gears in his brain turning.

"No," she said lightly. "I don't like it, really. Besides, who wants to smell like everyone else?"

Bruce looked at her, clearly considering something. "How was the party?"

"There will be more photos linking me and Andris. I swear we were only second in popularity to the bride and groom."

"Yuri?" Bruce asked, clearly annoyed. Diana smiled. He was so easily annoyed and it was just foolish really. If he wanted particular information, he should ask the question he wanted answered. How hard would that be? She giggled when she realized it would require a personality change, which actually would be hard.

"He came by with the perfume and left. He was writing a grant proposal, I think. Audrey was annoyed but not for long. So, the party was a complete bust there."

"Diana, why don't you sit down?" Bruce said, sounding a little nervous. Diana realized that she had draped herself over his shoulder.

"Making you uncomfortable?" she giggled and sat down in a chair near him.

"Something like that," he said and reached for the perfume bottle she had left on the workstation. He dropped a few drops on a slide and placed it into a reader on the left side of the workstation.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked. "It's just perfume."

"Let's confirm that," he said darkly.

The cloud of enjoyment started to break in Diana's mind as annoyance began to creep in. "What is with you and this wedding? Everything with it is some sort of evil plot. And clearly, you don't think I am capable of taking care of myself."

Bruce looked at her. "It is my opinion that nothing good as ever come out of Kasnia and I see no signs of it changing now."

"You're impossible. And paranoid."

"I wear it well," he said lightly, looking at the reader display.

_Oh no, you can't start the fight and then pull back_, she thought.

"Sometimes better than others," Diana said, wishing she could think of something better.

Batman continued to look at the reader display. "You're feeling better then, Princess?"

Diana looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Mind is a little clearer? Everything is not quite so silly?" he asked.

She paused, completely confused. She hadn't felt strange. Things had been funny, but she had been enjoying herself at a party. But perhaps, since he mentioned it, things did seem a little crisper.

"What are you talking about?" she asked finally.

"Did the men get their cologne first?"

"I have no idea."

"They did. They got theirs before the bachelor party. Because you came back from that just like you came back from this one. There is a chemical in the formula that stimulates feelings of mirth. I've seen stuff like this before," Batman said with a smirk. "It is mostly harmless and basically distracts everyone."

"So, what other sections of the brain can Yuri stimulate?" Diana asked. She wasn't embarrassed by what happened, she was too busy contemplating what she was going to do to Yuri next time she saw him. Besides, Diana, Princess of the Amazon did not do embarrassed.

"I think we need to find out."

-------------------------------

The call came the next morning. Diana had been looking forward to a day free of wedding obligations. Perhaps even a mission! But when the communicator beeped at her, she just knew that she probably didn't want to answer it.

"Hello," she said, trying to keep the dread out of her voice.

"Diana! Good morning," Andris' cheerful voice answered.

Diana liked Andris. She really did. He was funny and cheerful and light to Bruce's dark. He was an excellent distraction when the planning and partying was more frivolous than she could handle. But he still represented the wedding. In one week it would be her entire schedule. She really wanted a moment away.

"I'll get right to the point," he said. "There is a 'joining of noble family' dinner tonight and my date has canceled on me. Is there any way you might be available? Please? Don't make me go alone; it is too dreadful to bear. Just as friends. Please, I need you."

Diana smiled in spite of herself. But then she thought of the last two times she had been out with him. "All right," she said. "I'll be there. But one thing, and please don't tell Audrey."

"Sure, what?"

"The wedding cologne and perfume. I don't like the smell, so just don't wear it, all right?"

There was a pause. Diana thought perhaps he knew what was in the cologne but when he spoke again his voice was light and cheerful.

"An easy request, consider it done. But you are right – don't tell Audrey you don't like it."

She got the details from him on the event. Before hanging up, Andris paused for a second.

"Diana, thank you for doing this. No one enjoys state dinners but I will try and make this a pleasant evening for you."

"You are most welcome. I am just glad that I am able to help," she said.

-------------------------------

Diana decided to take the jet rather than teleport or fly, simply because she bring her armor in a bag and leave it in the jet rather than trying to store it some place. So, she left her room at the Watchtower in a black cocktail dress, carrying a duffel bag with enough time to get the Castle of Kasnia for the state dinner.

She was about halfway to the jet when she saw Superman walking her way. She knew he had just returned from a mission and he had that look of both happiness and exhaustion around his eyes. However, he smiled when he saw her.

"I thought you were off the hook on the wedding business for a while," he said turning around to walk next to her.

"I did too. However, duty calls."

She gave him a quick overview of the call from Andris. Since she had also told him what Bruce had discovered in the cologne and perfume, she wasn't surprised when Kal suddenly looked thoughtful.

"How involved do you think they are?"

Diana had been considering that question for a while but she didn't like the answer. "Audrey is unaware. But Andris and Gergely? I hope they aren't, but I don't know for certain. They both know Yuri well but I not sure if that means anything. Maybe I will get some more answers tonight."

"All right," he said with a sigh. "Just be careful, all right? We've never had a lot of luck in Kasnia."

Diana glared at him. He smiled and put his hands up in mock defense.

"Hey," he said, still smiling. "Just because you are able to take care of yourself doesn't mean I won't worry."

She relaxed. They were standing in front of the door to the jet. She opened it and then looked back at him.

"Right back at you," she said.

-------------------------------

Diana was used to state dinners, but Andris was right. She had enjoyed her first one, which had taken place when she was a young girl, but after that, the thrill was gone and she found them tiring. She assumed the dinner at the Kasnia castle would not be any more interesting than the ones on Themyscira.

Andris had met her just outside the main castle gate. He was wearing a very trendy taupe suit which accented his light coloring perfectly and brought out the green of his eyes. He waved her past the security guards who were posted mostly to keep the throng of photographers at a distance.

"Thank you again for coming," he said, giving her a quick embrace. "You look fantastic."

"I'm glad I could attend. I am sure coming to one of these alone is simply unbearable," she said as he offered her his arm. She accepted and the two walked into the castle.

"Well, it means I am at the mercy of the person in charge of the seating chart. That can be a precarious situation," he said lightly.

Audrey met them and she clapped her hands when she saw them. "You two make the cutest couple! Look at you – like day and night out together! I love it! Diana, how are you, darling?" Diana slipped away from Andris to give Audrey a hug.

"You are shameless," Diana whispered.

"You would know," Audrey responded with a laugh and the three of them walked towards a server with glasses of champagne. The server was standing at the entrance to the ballroom, which was filled with people talking and laughing. Waiters were passing hors d'œuvres and a sting quartet was playing.

"Where's Gergely?" Andris asked as the three each took a glass of champagne.

"Oh, he's here somewhere," she said and waved into the ballroom.

Gergely did join them after they walked into the ballroom. He was tall with a swimmer's build, black hair and deep blue eyes. Once again, Diana felt herself fully supporting Audrey's taste in men.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuri talking to a man she didn't recognize so she excused herself and went to say hello. Yuri welcomed her with a friendly smile and introduced her to Emil Peterlin, his research partner. Diana couldn't believe her luck and tried, with little success, to talk about their research. Andris joined her a few moments later and Diana stopped trying. She thought there was enough in how odd it was that they didn't want to talk about their work.

The four of them chatted for a while, enjoying the drinks and the food when a well-dressed man rang some chimes and announced dinner. The four of them followed the group into the dining room and quickly found their names.

Course after course of rich and wonderful food appeared before them. Diana actually found that as she was sitting next to Andris and a cousin of his, the three of them actually were enjoying themselves talking about the wedding and how awful formal dinners could be. Diana was completely relaxed when a familiar voice came through the communicator.

"Princess," Batman said.

Diana looked at Andris apologetically and pointed to her earpiece, which she had forgotten she was wearing. He made a "sorry about that" face as Diana stood.

"Go ahead Batman," she said as she walked to a quiet corner away from the table. Behind her she heard a rumble of people commenting on Batman calling.

"I am going to break into the Peterlin lab so that I can see if there is anything there or if it is all in Rasmussen's lab. Care to join me?"

"Absolutely. And I can tell you the coast will be clear. They are both at dinner."

"How do you know that?"

"I walked them to their chairs."

There was a stunned pause. "Where are you?"

She felt a hand on her waist and turned to see Andris standing next to her. She held up a single finger.

"I am in Kasnia at a state dinner. I am on my way."

She heard the click of Batman deactivating his communicator. She looked at Andris.

"I am sorry I have to leave, but duty calls," she told him.

"That's all right," Andris said with a smile. "I will have an excellent story to tell for the rest of the night."

He kissed her gently, which she neither returned nor rebuffed.

"Be safe," he said and turned to return to his chair.

"Good night," she said and turned to leave; surprised that she was sorry to be going.

-------------------------------

She landed her jet next to Batman's, on the roof of one of the university buildings. When she got out, she saw him crouched in the shadows, watching the ground below. She knew she never would have found him if she didn't know he was there to find.

"Bruce," she whispered.

"Good evening," he said quietly. He stood and turned to face her. "There seem to be two security guards for the entire campus so they don't spend a lot of time at either building. Better still, they travel together."

She nodded silently in acknowledgement.

"Peterlin's lab is directly below us," Batman continued. "Internal security is non-existent. The door is locked. The window doesn't open. No cameras. No lasers."

"Sounds easy then," Diana said. Then, realizing the implication of what she said, she added "so, why did you call me?"

"Safety," he answered handing her a gas mask.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Safety?"

"He is working with mind-altering chemicals."

She glared at him. Too often recently she thought there was something he wasn't telling her.

"Afterwards, I'll get you dessert since I interrupted your dinner," he said simply.

"So this is a date," Diana asked incredulous.

"No. Work. The date is later." He slid on his gas mask.

She shook her head in a mixture of surprise and amusement and put on her gas mask. She followed him to the access door and looked for any signs of security as the Dark Knight picked the lock. They moved quickly to the floor below.

Although she was highly educated, Diana had never been a student in a university so the bland tile floor with wooden doors on each side and drab concrete walls did not bring back memories. However, the hallway of Kasnia University managed to look like most university buildings. Batman paused in front of a door and picked that lock as well. He slowly opened the door, looked around and then motioned for Diana to follow him.

Even Diana, with very little experience in university labs, knew the lab was too clean. The countertops were spotless. The chemicals were all put away with their labels facing forward. The lab notebooks were all stowed on a shelf that sat above one of the tables. The equipment was new and clean. There were no handwritten instructions or notes posted anywhere.

She turned to Batman who was glaring at the lab with disgust. Diana walked over to one of the lab notebooks and opened it. It was empty. She kept looking and none of them had any notes in them at all. She pulled off her gasmask.

"Does he have another lab on campus?" she asked. Batman didn't look at her but he lowered his mask.

"He must. This is too clean even with VIP tour this weekend."

"Shall we check Yuri's lab?" Diana asked.

"Better. I want to know if I need to hunt for secret labs," he said.

The Rasmussen lab was in the same condition. Batman opened the door and swore loudly. He turned to Diana.

"Did you say anything to anyone about that cologne?" he demanded.

"I told Andris I didn't like it and that I didn't want him to wear it to the dinner."

He glared at her. "When?"

"At nine this morning," she answered. She felt the adrenaline start pumping through her blood.

"Damn! That was plenty of time," he snarled.

"To find space for and more two labs into different locations? No. It wasn't," she said growling back.

"It clearly was, but that doesn't matter," he snarled. "We learned something anyway. Andris is in on whatever is happening. And we still have the edge since they don't know who I am." He paused and glared at her. "You didn't ask to sit next to me at dinner, did you?"

She felt the anger erupt before she could check it. "Whatever your ego allows you to believe, I can go days without mentioning you at all."

He just stared at her.

"And I don't think we should assume that Andris is involved. He could have said something to someone else."

He continued to glare. "Occam's razor," he answered and walked out of the lab.

"That! That is your proof. That's sloppy for you, isn't it?" She said as she charged after him.

He turned on his heel and glared at her. "Put your feelings away, Princess. Why would he tell someone what you said unless he thought it was important?"

She stopped cold. She had no answer that made sense.

"Stop reading the papers," she barked at him. "I have feelings for you, not him."

He turned around and started walking back to the staircase that led to the roof. "It's a working dessert now. Chocolate soufflé at the mansion," he said bitterly.

-------------------------------

He heard her footsteps following him as he walked towards the Batplane. His brain was too full of emotions. He just needed to keep moving and work on getting them all in check.

He needed her help to develop a plan. She knew the schedule of the wedding and could identify the best time for him to come back to the university and really investigate. He could do that. He could work with her and go to the wedding and then, he would see her with Andris in person. And he would know what he needed to know.

Her voice saying "I have feelings for you, not him" echoed in his mind.

_Bullshit_, he told it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_When you're not here love it's hard to pretend/It's all alright but still_: Dave Matthews Band

Alfred Pennyworth very rarely made chocolate soufflé. Master Bruce did not really care for sweets and it was too arduous a task to bake for someone who did not appreciate it. So, when Master Bruce requested it as a "late night treat," Alfred knew it was not for him. And based on the master's social life recently, there was only one person he would request it for. So, despite the work involved, Alfred happily spent the early part of the evening preparing the dish.

He heard them enter and checked the time. The soufflé needed a few more minutes but the coffee was ready. He put together the tray and merrily strode to greet the new arrivals.

The cheer Alfred felt died when he entered the study. Master Bruce, still in his Batman garb, had removed his cowl and was going through some notes he had taken from the Batcave. Princess Diana was glaring at him in a frosty rage.

"Good evening, master, madam," Alfred said, pretending he did not notice anything was amiss. "Coffee?"

"Yes, Alfred, thank you," Diana said with a faint smile. "How are you this evening?"

"Fine, thank you," he said, handing her a full cup. "Master Bruce, coffee?"

Bruce didn't look up from his reading. "No, thank you, Alfred. Is that the soufflé I smell?" The words were harmless but the tone was bitter.

"Yes sir. It will be ready in a few minutes. Shall I serve it in here?"

"That would be fine. Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said. Again he was concentrating on his notes.

"Very good, sir," Alfred replied. He stared at Bruce, trying to determine what was going on. Nothing was obvious, so he turned to the princess.

"Would you like some reading material, madam?" Alfred asked, sending a disapproving look at Bruce.

"No thank you, Alfred," Diana said. "I have some thinking to do." Again harmless words with a bitter tone.

"Very good. I shall see to the soufflé then," he said and left the room.

Alfred was not one to listen at doorways but he also had spent an absurd amount of time preparing the basis of what he thought was going to be a romantic evening for two people he adored. He heard nothing for a moment and was prepared to leave when he heard Diana.

"Any insights you would like to share?" she asked in a snide tone.

There was no response.

"Bruce, either talk to me or I'll join Alfred in the kitchen for soufflé."

Again, there was no answer. Diana signed.

"All right," she said angrily. "You have two choices. You can talk to me. Or you can shut me out and I'll leave. I'm tired, disappointed and angry too."

Silence. Alfred bowed his head. He had seen this too often. Bruce was hurt and rather than talk about it, he was shutting down, throwing himself into the nearest problem. Alfred didn't want to stay for the inevitable.

He managed to get several strides away from the door when it swung open. As he expected, Diana walked out, holding her coffee and muttering under her breath. When she saw Alfred, she stopped and called to him.

"Alfred, I don't suppose there is room in the kitchen for one more?" she asked.

"Of course. It would be a pleasure."

"Alfred," Diana said with a genuine smile. "I suspect with chocolate soufflé, the pleasure will be all mine."

-------------------------------

"This is the best soufflé I have ever had," Diana said cheerfully. She was sitting in the kitchen on a barstool at an island. Alfred remembered many times that Bruce, throughout the years, had sat at that barstool and kept Alfred company while he cooked.

"Thank you madam," Alfred said, continuing to do the dishes.

"Alfred, what do you do when he's wrong?" Diana asked.

Alfred hoped now he would get some details as to what was going on between Diana and Bruce.

"Madam?" he asked.

"The great detective. What do you do when he is wrong? How do you convince him that he is wrong?" she asked. The frustration was clear in her voice as was some genuine sorrow.

"Unfortunately, madam, I have found that he requires that he discover that on his own," Alfred replied honestly. "It can be difficult at times."

Diana sighed. "Bruce thinks I'm attracted to someone else," she said bitterly.

"That is, I presume, the error, Madam?"

"Yes. Andris is a nice guy. But that's all I can say about him. Do I enjoy spending time with him? Yes, I do. But after this wedding is over, Alfred, he and I would have nothing to talk about."

"But Master Bruce believes there is more?" Alfred was somewhat surprised at his departure from formal manners.

"Apparently. I just don't believe Andris has anything to do with this gas being developed in Kasnia. That, to Bruce, is a sign of my affection for Andris. It isn't. I just don't think that Andris has the focus. He lives for the moment. Long-term planning just isn't his thing. Especially something with such vague results as chemistry experiments."

"Of course, madam. If I may, when is the wedding?"

"Saturday. Bruce tours the university in the morning, the ceremony is early that evening and the reception is that night. Sunday, I have a wedding party brunch."

"Madam, I believe your best course of action, since you asked, is to wait until after the wedding. When things return to normal, Master Bruce will see his error."

"So, I should resist the temptation to pound on him until he comes to my way of thinking?" she asked with a little smile.

"Perhaps not the best plan for success," Alfred smiled back.

"I was afraid you would say that," she said and took a large bite of the soufflé. "My way is faster."

"As you say, Madam," Alfred responded.

They continued to talk for several minutes, about the wedding, about making soufflé and other harmless topics when Bruce, who had changed out of his Batman uniform and into a pair of black pants and a grey sweater, walked into the kitchen. His arms and hands will filled with large sheets of paper. Alfred noted that when he walked in, Diana's expression hardened. Bruce didn't notice – his eyes were bright, clearly having made a discovery.

"How long does it take to get from Andris' house to the Kasnia castle?" he asked Diana.

"I wouldn't know. I have never traveled between the two," she answered coldly.

"Guess," he ordered.

She glared at him. "Fifteen minutes," she said.

"That's what I thought. And the Kasnia castle is about 20 miles from the university. Andris' home is about 15 miles from the university there." He unceremoniously moved her soufflé plate and spread out the pages. The top one was a map.

"It just doesn't make any sense why, if Rasmussen was going to go to a university outside his homeland why he would select one so close to home. But maybe he didn't. Maybe the secret lab is in his homeland. Maybe he has never really done work in Kasnia. All he would need was a helicopter at his disposal," Bruce said, pointing to the various locations on the map. Alfred shut his eyes in frustration. Master Bruce had decided to ignore the relationship issues for the good of the mission. Again, he was shutting down.

Bruce pulled off that sheet and exposed another. It was, according to its heading, a satellite photo of the university in Kasnia. "The alternative," Bruce continued, "is they are hiding in this building here." He pointed to a small building only a handful of yards away from the building he and Diana had explored. "There is no record of what is in this building but the photographs suggest that it could be a lab. It has the proper ventilation and drainage systems."

Only years of training and generations of family service kept Alfred from grabbing Bruce and shaking him by the shoulders. The princess was his equal in pride. She wasn't going to just play along.

"I will investigate the other campus after patrol tonight. I'll let you know what I find," he said.

Alfred watching in horror as Diana snapped the fork she was holding in half. Not because the fork was valuable but because she clearly didn't know she was doing it. At the sound, she looked down and then, with horror, looked at Alfred.

"Oh Alfred, I am so sorry," she said, apologetically.

"Quite all right, madam," Alfred said taking the pieces from her. "These things happen."

Bruce looked at Diana. For a spilt second, Alfred saw something in the master's eyes that he hadn't seen for a while.

_He really does love her_, the butler thought.

"Alfred?" Bruce asked without taking his eyes off of Diana. "Can we have a minute?"

"Of course, sir," Alfred replied and left the room.

Alfred closed the door behind him and quickly came to terms with the fact that he was becoming a man who listened at doorways.

-------------------------------

Bruce looked at Diana as if he had been locked into a room with an angry lion. It was not too far off the mark. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her anger. His own was too raw and not firmly under control.

"We need to work together to stop whatever they are planning," he said sternly.

"Funny," Diana said. "You say 'together' and yet you don't mean it. You just said you were going to check out the other campus on your own. Where is the "we" there?"

"If you get caught snooping, you may get thrown off the wedding party. You need to be there at the wedding to keep an eye on Rasmussen. That's the 'we'," he retorted, his anger nearly matching Diana's.

"You turned your emotions off completely, didn't you?" she said bitterly. "That is a trick you need to teach me because frankly, I still would like to throw you through a wall."

Bruce paused, stunned. _She's interested in another man and I'm the bad guy? _

Another voice in his head suggested that perhaps his assumption was false. He ignored it. That was the fool talking.

She stood up. "I'm going. Let me know what you find out tomorrow and I will see you at the ceremony on Saturday." She spat the words at him.

She walked out the door without further comment. She wished Alfred a pleasant evening, thanked him for the soufflé and made her way to the Batcave for her jet.

Once Diana was out of eye shot, Alfred counted to ten and returned to the kitchen. Bruce was standing exactly where he had been when Alfred had left. His face was expressionless.

"Can I get you something, sir?" Alfred asked gently.

"No, Alfred, thank you," he answered without looking at him.

Years of living in the Wayne Manor had taught Alfred that he shouldn't push so he began to clean up after Diana and the soufflé hoping that Bruce would say something. He didn't. Bruce stood there for another moment and then gathered up his papers and made his way to the Batcave.

Bruce's hurt wasn't going away. Granted he had put a lot of rules on the relationship – secrecy as the top priority – but he had thought that the two of them were moving forward, enjoying each other's company and otherwise progressing like a couple in a good, solid, healthy relationship. Andris, the devoted puppy, had come out of nowhere and blindsided him, which was, he realized, his own fault. This was exactly why he didn't want a relationship. Relationships didn't work. But, he was going to stick with his plan. He was going to wait for proof.

But for now, he was going to focus on Gotham. And then those two fools in Kasnia.

_The hurt wasn't going away. It was getting worse._

-------------------------------

Flash saw Diana walking to her room in the Watchtower and made the mistake of trying to talk to her.

"Hey gorgeous, you are in the paper again! A state dinner, wow!" he said merrily.

When he told Lantern about the encounter later, he would tell him that Wonder Woman had growled at him. Actually growled at him.

What he wouldn't tell Lantern that was between the growl and the look in her eye, Flash felt his only choice was to run away at top speed. So he did.

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AN: Roguechere asked for a soufflé scene, which I had not intended to do until I got the request but it helped me flush out the whole Diana and Andris thing, so thank you. Balletangel 19, if you are still reading, I figured out a way to work your request in too so stay tuned for Chapter 7.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_I walk half way around the world/Just to sit down by your side/And I would do most anything girl/To be the apple of your eye_: Dave Matthews Band

Diana had moved to the Kasnia Castle the day before simply for the ease of it. The schedule gave her most of the morning to herself. She was due down for brunch and then the schedule of hair, make-up and manicures almost non-stop until they were dressed and the ceremony started.

So, Diana got up early to exercise and to meditate. The Kasnia Castle had an excellent gym and the chief of security was willing to spar with her. She had gotten a better work out than she had suspected and, in case things got really ugly, she knew the chief of security's weaknesses.

After a long soaking shower, she had changed into clean sweats and began her meditation. As much as it was time to worship her goddesses, it was a time to remember who she was and what her duties were. Considering the last several days, it was a reminder she desperately needed. Her time talking to Athena and Hera reminded her that she was a warrior, a princess and a deliverer of justice. She protected the innocent. She was honest, wise and strong. As she worshipped, she felt the warmth of power surge through her body.

When she spoke to Aphrodite, she smelled roses and heard a faint, joyous laughter. Added to the power was a warmth of joy and love. She was strong, she was wise and she was happy.

At the appropriate time, Diana, Amazon Princess of Themyscira known to Man's World as Wonder Woman, went to brunch.

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_This is the worst idea I have ever had_, the Dark Knight thought even as he activated his communicator. It might have been the worst idea ever, but after spending too much time considering other options, _any other_ option, he had come up empty.

Just like his search of the other university. It was on the Kasnian campus or it was no where.

"Batman to Flash," he said, trying to keep the moan out of his voice.

"Flash here. What do you need, Bats?" the cheerful voice answered.

_For starters, you can stop calling me that_, he thought.

"The Kasnian chemists. I could use your skills," he answered dryly, bracing for the response.

"Really!? I get to go to the party? Oh, cool, I can get a tux in like, well, no time at all!"

"No! Not the party. Work." Batman growled. The silence on the other end was pitiful.

"Oh, okay. Ah, whaddya need?" Flash finally answered with much less energy.

"I may need you to move a lot of gas either in or out of a space. Possibly both. Quickly."

"Oh sure. No problem. Where and when?"

Batman did. The two agreed to meet outside the mystery building on the Kasnia University campus about an hour after the reception started. At that point, Batman was sure he could slip away unnoticed. Flash made a bit of noise about meeting at the reception but that was quickly quashed.

That chore complete, the Dark Knight made his way to the Wayne Enterprise helicopter which would take Bruce Wayne and his locked suitcase with the false bottom to Kasnia.

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Bruce walked into the reception in a bad mood. The university tour had been a bust as neither Peterlin nor Rasmussen had been there. The tour never got close enough to the building with the secret labs in it for him to either leave the tour and explore or ask about without being extremely obvious.

And then, he sat through the ceremony. Diana, looking like a goddess in a crimson dress that flattered her every curve, was watching the couple and listening to the service, actually quite intently, he had to admit to himself. But Andris, who Bruce still wanted to see bleed, was staring at Diana like she was the only thing in the room. If Diana was aware of it, he couldn't tell. In fact, the only time she looked away from the couple was to meet Bruce's eye and when she did, she actually smiled at him. It was subtle, he was quite sure that no one but Andris would have noticed that she looked into the crowd. He couldn't imagine that she had forgotten that she had wanted to throw him through a wall. Perhaps the emotion of a wedding appealed to an Amazon as well?

Although he was looking hard to see something between Andris and Diana, Bruce had to admit that when the two met in the center aisle to follow the bride and the groom, there was nothing to see. They stood a respectable distance apart and didn't touch. The nagging voice that was telling Bruce that the affection was one-sided - or at least much stronger on one side than the other - was getting louder. He found he wasn't ignoring it as stringently as before.

The reception was in the ballroom of the Kasnia Castle. It was beautifully decorated, using the colors of Kasnia as its theme. There were several food stations set throughout the room and an orchestra playing in one corner. Servers with champagne were weaving through the room and a bar was on the opposite end of the room from the orchestra.

Bruce took a glass of champagne from a server and looked at his watch. He had 50 minutes until he needed to leave, change and meet Flash. He wandered over to a food station, put together a small plate and waited.

He didn't wait long. A herald, dressed in Kasnian colors and finery, stood to one side of the doorway. Rather than a horn, he used a gong to get the attention of the guests. It worked perfectly. Silence fell over the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to present Queen Audrey and Prince Consort Gergely," he said.

The orchestra played what Bruce knew to be the Kasnian anthem as the newly married couple walked into the ballroom. Bruce thought they made a striking pair. Now that the solemn nature of the religious ceremony was over, the pair also looked very happy. Although they were not looking at each other as they strolled into the room, they were walking close enough so that their bodies were touching. They were clearly very aware of each other. They nodded and waved and then kissed and split to mingle separately with the guests.

After a moment, the herald called again. "The best man and maid of honor – Duke Andris and Princess Diana!"

Bruce realized someone had joined him but none of his instincts warned him about any danger so he did not turn. This was what he wanted to see.

They walked in. Diana was on Andris' arm but other than that, based on her stance and expression, she might as well have been alone. Her blue eyes flashed with delight as she waved at people she knew. She was clearly enjoying herself. And when the two got to the same spot where Audrey and Gergely had separated, they did as well. There was no kiss. Andris squeezed Diana's hand and she smiled back, but even Bruce, who was looking for something to see, had to admit that suggested nothing.

Before his brain could process the conflict of what he believed was true and what his eyes were telling him, a silk handkerchief appeared in front of him.

"Here, darling, you're drooling," Queen Audrey said with a smirk.

Bruce smiled, made a curt bow and took the handkerchief.

"Mr. Wayne, I'm afraid you don't have a chance with her," she said lightly. "Neither does Andris, although I've indulged his thinking otherwise."

This earned the Queen the full force of a Bruce Wayne "ya think so?" smile.

"And why not," he said trying to keep the fascination out of his voice.

"Diana grew up totally independent of men. She learned that she needed no one to be fulfilled. Her own happiness is completely up to her. Then, when she comes to our world, who are the first men she meets? Green Lantern, Superman, that Martian fellow, Batman and Flash. They were her first examples of what men are. Mere mortals can not complete with those men. They may have their faults but they risk their lives for others just as Diana does. They fight for the innocent, just like Diana does. So, between the fact that she see normal men as shallow, self-indulgent fools and that she doesn't care if she pairs up or not, you simply don't have a chance. But go ahead and try, darling. I am sure she will find you exactly as she finds Andris – a pleasant distraction but at the end of the day, not at all what she wants."

The logic of what she said clicked in Bruce's head and suddenly a weight lifted off his heart and he wanted to, quite uncharacteristically, give the queen a hug. He didn't, but he did smile and return her handkerchief.

"A pleasant distraction to Wonder Woman might well be worth the heartache," he heard himself say. "But, Your Highness, I can't imagine that is why you wanted to talk to me."

She smiled. "Actually, no, Mr. Wayne, you are right. I heard that you did not meet the inventors you had hoped to on the tour this morning."

Bruce smiled. "No, I didn't. My research department spoke well of Drs. Peterlin and Rasmussen. A chemist and a nanotechnologist, I believe. Neither of them was available on the tour."

She paused to wave at other members of the wedding party as they were introduced and entered. Then she turned back toward Bruce.

"That was my fault, I'm afraid," Audrey said with a smile. "Both of them are friends of my husband's family. They have been involved in wedding functions all day. If you can spend one more day in Kasnia, I can arrange for them to meet with you tomorrow. There is a brunch for the wedding party, but I can certainly make an exception for you."

"That would be wonderful, thank you, Your Highness."

Audrey smiled and excused herself. Bruce made some small talk with some people he knew and then he decided to take advantage of the fact that Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne had been seen at public events on several occasions. He walked up to her, where she was talking with several of the bridesmaids. Andris, who was standing within ear shot, was talking to Gergely and some of the groomsmen.

"Ladies, good evening," Bruce said smoothly. "Wonder Woman, I am sure you don't remember me, but I wanted to stop by and say that you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you."

She looked at him. For an instant, her eyes flashed with anger, but it was gone in an instant and replaced with a faint smile. "Actually, I do and thank you, Mr. Wayne. You also look quite well. How have you been?"

He looked at her for a minute, seeing an opportunity.

"I recently discovered that I have been operating on some false assumptions. But, as odd as this is to say, it feels good to be wrong."

She looked at him for a moment. "Well, I certainly hope there are no long lasting consequences of any actions you took operating under those assumptions," she said lightly.

"Me too," he said. His watch alarm beeped at him, so he smiled his Bruce Wayne smile. "But who could resist me, even when I'm wrong?"

Several of the bridesmaids laughed. Diana wasn't one of them but she did smile a genuine smile.

"Who indeed?" she said.

Bruce made his excuses and went to meet Flash. He wasn't entirely sure he had cleared the air between the two of them, but the next move was hers.

-------------------------------

Appropriately dressed, Batman met Flash just outside the small, non-descript building on the Kasnian campus. Flash was leaning against the wall looking completely relaxed.

"While I was waiting," Flash said with a smirk, "I found the security guards. They are on the other side of campus. I think we've got plenty of time."

Batman looked at the tracks of footprints surrounding the building. "What were they doing on the other end of campus?"

"They were drinking coffee. I think they were on some sort of break."

Batman looked at the speedster. "Or, they've been told to stay there. Hold on," he said. Then he activated his communicator.

"Wonder Woman? It's Batman. Can you tell me if either Peterlin or Rasmussen is there?"

She responded instantly. "Hold on. They were here," her voice trailed off as she looked.

A couple of minutes passed. "No," she said firmly. "They aren't here now. I saw them after you left so they haven't been gone long."

"Any other notables missing?"

"No," Wonder Woman answered. "Believe me, none of us are getting out of here without a, what was it Flash calls it, a 'hall pass'? Yes, a hall pass. Queen Audrey security is tight. I'm surprised they got out."

"Batman out," he said and deactivated the communicator. He looked at Flash. "The security guards were ordered to stay away."

"Why?" Flash asked.

"That is why I want to know," Batman said and focused his attention on the building.

It was a plain brick building, about 2,400 square feet, which had clearly been built in order to not draw attention. There were several windows, but they were located too high up on the building for the common passer-by to look into and there were absolutely no signs near or on it. There was a small docking area to the back which was empty. But it looked like a storage building of some sort. Batman could see how students would wander past it without giving it a moment's thought.

It seemed quiet. There were lights on inside – he could see that much from the windows. Without looking, he pulled a batarang out of his belt and, holding the line, threw it to the roof. He looked at Flash.

"Stay here," he ordered and a moment later was looking through the window. He saw Rasmussen hunched over a table but there was no sign of his partner. There were four large men all dressed in olive pants and black long-sleeved shirts in various locations around the lab.

He returned to the ground. Flash looked at him expectantly.

"Rasmussen has some muscle," Batman said. "The professor is busy, the others are not."

Flash smiled. "Well, I guess we need to go give them something to do."

Batman glared at him. "First we need to discover what he's doing. Then we stop it."

Flash grinned. "Yeah, I know that."

"Prove it," Batman growled and the two made their way to the dock door. On the way, Batman handed Flash a gas mask and slipped on one of his own.

After picking the lock but before opening the door, Batman turned to Flash.

"Take care of any gas," he said quietly. Flash nodded.

"And keep out of sight," Batman added and slowly and silently opened the door.

Flash was amazed at how quickly Batman disappeared into the shadows. If he hadn't known a man was standing there, he never would have seen him. They were standing in a hallway with tiled floors and concrete brick walls. The hallway was goon free.

Batman leapt across the hallway and looked up. Flash followed his eyes and realized he was looking at a security camera. After a moment Batman shook his head and moved to the next shadow. Flash realized that the camera wasn't hooked up.

Batman slowly and carefully snuck past a door labeled as storage and another door that clearly had the air ventilation system behind it. He pointed it out to Flash who nodded, but thankfully looked serious about it before moving on. Finally, he reached the lab door. The lab was large enough that there was a real chance that he could listen in for a while before anyone noticed he was there. He motioned to Flash to stay put and he silently opened the door.

As he suspected, the guards were too interested in what Rasmussen was doing to notice that the door opened. There wasn't a lot of shadow to hide in, but there was plenty of equipment to hide behind. The Dark Knight moved behind a mobile computer workstation cart and listened. He hoped that neither Rasmussen or the guards were particularly competent because there were not a lot of places to hide. Most of the equipment was against the wall and while the building was tall, the ceiling did not offer any footholds.

Across the room and under the windows, Rasmussen, still in his tux, was bent over a large worktable with multiple pieces of equipment, microscopes and a computer. Batman recognized that everything in the lab was top of the line scientific equipment.

One of the hired muscle spoke. "We need to get you back to the party, sir."

Rasmussen waved a hand in dismissal. "Soon. I need to finish this up. Peterlin was useless. I need to do my work and now I have to get his done."

"How long?"

"Ten minutes. Then we can head back to the reception. I can take care of business there and then we can all move on."

One of the other security guards headed towards the cart where Batman was hiding. The Dark Knight knew he hadn't been spotted but he also knew that it was just a matter of seconds before it happened. He hadn't learned anything very useful but knew that whatever the danger was, it was sitting on the table in front of Rasmussen. He wasn't comfortable throwing an explosive batarang into the lab. Using surprise as his main tool, he threw a batarang through the window and, grabbing onto the line, began to fly across the lab towards the professor's base of operations.

There was a lot of shouting from the security force. Batman heard Flash throw open the door behind him. Rasmussen, looking frightfully calm for a professor whose lab had just been invaded, removed the cover from a glass container full of liquid and threw it on the floor. As the cloud started to fill the room, Batman found himself over the table. He grabbed a test tube and began to ascend towards the window. He felt Flash doing his job – pulling the cloud out of the lab and towards the ventilation system at high speed. Then he heard a gun shot and the line broke.

"Alive, you idiot!" he heard Rasmussen shout.

As he began to fall, something struck his cheek.

_Shit! Now there are darts_, the Dark Knight thought as he prepared to hit the ground.

He embraced the blackness and was unconscious when he hit the ground.

-------------------------------

As the professor threw container after container, Flash pulled what seemed like a ton of gas out of the building to disperse in the atmosphere. When he had pulled open the ventilation door, he realized the system was not going to be able to handle the fumes at the speed he was going to be bringing them in. Between the gas and ducking bullets, by the time he went back to check on Batman, the lab was empty.

He simply hadn't been gone that long. He streaked towards the dock. He opened the doors in the hallway. He checked the Batplane and the rest of campus. Nothing.

He activated his communicator.

"Bats?"

There was no answer.

Flash weighed his options. He could look for a hidden door and try to take on the five people who had taken Batman. He could call on the communicator for help. Or, he could run to the party and get Wonder Woman. He realized that getting Wonder Woman would be the fastest option. She knew the situation, she knew the campus and at top speed, she was seconds away.

He hit the communicator again. "Bats, I'm getting the Calvary. Hang tight," he said. Just in case.

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Diana was dancing with a group of bridesmaids when she saw some security guards suddenly move in the same direction. None of the other guests would have noticed but she was trained to watch for that sort of movement.

Then she saw the red streak sailing across the room and excused herself from the dancing. She relaxed though, there was no attack to worry about.

Sure enough, Flash stopped about three feet in front of her. And his mouth was full of food. She was just about to tell him about the consequences of wedding crashing a royal party when Flash swallowed and spoke.

"Need you on campus," he said. "I've lost Bats."

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AN: Kudos to bmwwromancefangirl for knowing exactly where I was headed with this. I do apologize if Batman was easily captured – please keep in mind that action sequences are not my strong suit (practice, practice!). I promise his fighting skills will be more prominent later.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_For you I would crawl/Through the darkest dungeon/Climb the castle wall_: Dave Matthews Band

Flash watched as her face transformed from Diana to Wonder Woman. He knew the story of her birth but as he watched, he could have sworn that she had been made of steel rather than clay.

"Explain," she said curtly.

"I was dealing with the gas; he was dealing with the bad guys. I cleared the gas returned to help but both Bats and the bad guys were gone. He didn't answer his communicator either."

Wonder Woman nodded in understanding. "Let's go," she said and started striding towards the door.

He looked at her dress and shoes.

"You, ah, don't want to change first," he asked.

She glared at him. "Advantage of not having a secret identity to protect. Let's find him." Flash shrugged his shoulders and followed.

When Queen Audrey saw them headed towards the door, she made a move to stop them. Then, she saw the expression on Diana's face and just waved them out.

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Upon regaining consciousness, the first thing Batman realized was that his gasmask was off. Then he realized that his arms and legs ached from being bound but he was otherwise unharmed. Finally, he noted that his cowl was still on.

_Never understand that one. Can't be hard to pull it off, snap a picture, and make millions. _

He paused. That wasn't a thought he ought to be having under these circumstances. Besides, he had designed the cowl so that while it looked easy when he took it off, it was not a matter of just grabbing and pulling.

_And what have I been breathing, _he thought and felt the urge to laugh, which answered his question. He dropped his head, smelled his uniform and realized that he had been sprayed with a similar formula to that which Diana had brought to the Batcave.

_Damn._

And he opened his eyes.

The room smelled of earth and was poorly lit by several bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. He assumed based those factors as well as the size of the area and some of the rejected chemistry equipment piled on metal shelves against the far wall that he was in the basement of the lab building. He was sitting in a chair, bound with chains and two goons were positioned by the stairs but appeared to be paying more attention to what was going on above them than to Batman. Rasmussen was no where to be seen, although he could hear the muffled sound of several people moving around upstairs. It appeared that the stairs offered the only way out of the basement.

_Difficult, but not impossible_, he thought. _I wonder if I could fly if I could just fly still tied to the chair. I'll have to ask Diana about that. _

His mental dialogue paused again as a small red flag went off.

_Damn. Focus._

He closed his eyes again and worked on getting angry, which was not very hard for the Dark Knight. He felt the rage begin to grow but he realized he was having a hard time maintaining it. He needed someone else to piss him off.

_Where is Flash when I need him most?_

He began to focus on the chains. The chains had tiny but thick links. He wasn't going to be able to break through them but he might be able to move enough to access his belt, in which case it would be a matter of seconds before he was free.

Fortunately, the chair they had tied him to had cutouts in the back so he was able to, slowly, move his cape and access the laser cutter he carried in his belt. He decided to start with the chain around his waist because it would be easy to pretend to still be bound while he got his hands free.

He had just about gotten the chain cut when he heard a door in the distance crash open upstairs. He indulged in a smile. He knew what that sound meant.

_Oooh,_ he thought, sounding like a kid on a playground as he watched the goons race up the stairs, _you're in trouble._

He knew that he and Diana had different styles of handling dangerous situations but it was even more obvious in a rescue. He would observe and then used the element of surprise and stealth as long as possible. Diana literally ripped the door off the hinges and came in like an enraged goddess. He was a little disappointed he couldn't see what he was hearing because this was all on his behalf. However his head was clearing enough that he used the time alone to continue to cut through the chains. As he worked, he heard bodies slam against walls and glass breaking. He heard her voice muffled but clearly giving a demand. As the door at the top of the stairs opened, he saw the outline of Flash.

"Bats? You here?"

"Yes," he replied and bent over to cut through the chains at his feet.

"He's here. You can put him down now," Flash called over his shoulder.

"Actually, bring him down here," Batman called. "I want to talk to him."

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The relief at hearing Batman's voice washed over Diana and she loosened her grip on Rasmussen's lapels but did not lower him. In fact, still holding him several inches off the ground, she walked towards the open panel Flash had opened and walked him downstairs to where Batman waited. She was smiling the whole time. Rasmussen squirmed uncomfortably.

He was standing in a shadow. But, she noted, he was standing straight and didn't appear to be nursing any injuries.

"Are you all right?" she asked the Dark Knight as she deposited the professor in the chair Batman had just left.

"Wearing Yuri's cologne," he said darkly.

"Oh. Well, I can watch the professor, why don't you go upstairs and pick a fight with Flash? You can ask him how much he ate at the reception before he found me to tell me you were in trouble."

"I think 'in trouble' is strong," Batman said darkly.

"Or you can pick a fight with me over how to correctly describe your predicament. Whatever nullifies the cologne," she said pleasantly. "And allows you to find out what is going on."

He snarled at her and began to move towards the chair and Rasmussen.

"That was fast," she said, in the same cheerful tone. "I'll just leave you and Yuri alone for a while. I'm sure you have much to discuss. Flash and I will see what we can uncover upstairs."

Flash grimaced as she closed the door behind her. "What do you think he does to get them to talk?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but it works," she answered blandly. She started looking at the collection of notebooks by one of the work stations. She turned to Flash.

"Does any of this mean anything to you?" she asked.

Flash shook his head. "From what I can tell, all this stuff does is make you happy and a little distracted. Evil plot-wise, I don't see it."

They heard the door open and turned as Batman was walking into the lab.

"Peterlin is going to kill the groomsmen," he said. "Rasmussen thinks he can take the throne of his country and then take over Kasnia. Killing the groomsmen gets rid of the other contenders for the throne."

"Seriously?" Flash asked, doubtfully.

Batman glared.

"They are going to release the chemicals from the cologne into the castle's air circulators and when everyone is happy, walk up and shoot them," Batman explained.

"Seriously?" Flash asked again, with even more doubt.

Diana and Batman ignored him.

"Flash stops the gas release and we protect the groomsmen?" Diana asked, clearly more of a confirmation of her plan than anything.

"I stop the gas release and you and Flash protect the groomsmen," Batman said.

Diana arched an eyebrow at him. He knew he must still be feeling unusual friendly because he explained.

"At some point, someone will notice Bruce Wayne isn't there. I don't want Batman to be standing in the middle of the room when that observation is made," he said firmly.

"All right," Diana concurred. "Flash, go ahead, find the new Prince Consort, briefly explain the situation and find a safe place for all the groomsmen. I will be right behind you." She smiled at him. "I'll bet you can't get that all done before I arrive." The tone was teasing but the challenge was on.

Flash grinned, winked at her and disappeared in a blur of red.

She looked at Batman. She wanted to talk to him about everything but it would, could and should wait.

"Good hunting," she said with a smile.

"And to you," he replied and watched her fly away. Then he made his way to the Batplane.

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The access to the main ventilation system of the Kasnian castle was, as one would expect, in a dark, dank room in what would have been the attic if castles had attics. There were several light fixtures along the walls which, with their dull bulbs, managed to throw more shadow than light. All the equipment in the room was tall and spaced so that the Dark Knight was fairly certain he could leap from piece to piece should the need arise. The sound of the air circulating would give him more than enough cover.

Batman smirked when he walked in.

_Perfect,_ he thought darkly.

He perched on top of the main access point and looked around the room. He would wait.

It wasn't long before he heard the door creak open and saw a flashlight beam begin an unsteady trip across the floor. Although Batman thought the flashlight was unnecessary, it did give him the benefit of knowing for certain that the holder was nervous. Which suggested this was his man.

"Yuri?" came a whisper which confirmed it for the Dark Knight. The man was tall, not as tall as Batman, but still, tall. He was approaching middle age but was in good shape – probably a biker or runner or both, Batman judged.

When there was no answer, the man turned back towards the doorway.

"He's not here," he said. "Something has gone wrong. I guess I need you after all."

Batman waited silently and watched as two large men dressed in what the Dark Knight was mentally calling _Kasnian goon wear_ entered the space. They also thought that flash lights were not necessary. They also clearly were not thrilled to be there nor did they seem to be formally trained. He had been so sure that someone had been behind Rasmussen's plan but the more he saw the more he believed that the professor hadn't lied to him when he said he was doing this on his own.

_So where did the grant money come from?_

Rasmussen had told him he didn't know. He told Batman what the work was and they both knew it was a piece of a bigger puzzle. There were a variety of reasons why Batman didn't like that; however, he didn't have time to really think about it.

_But I will_, he thought as the program was almost triggering another memory he had. He liked that even less.

Peterlin began to walk towards the main system that Batman was sitting on; however, he was still only holding the flashlight. The goons believed the main threat was going to come from the hallway and therefore had not wandered too far into the room.

It took seconds. About a foot from the main ventilation system, Peterlin reached into his pocket and pulled out a large bottle with a stopper as a lid. Batman threw a smoke bomb in the doorway to confuse the goons and in one move, jumped to the ground and threw a batarang that neatly bound Peterlin.

Silently, Batman took the bottle from Peterlin and moved to intercept the goons who were coughing their way through the smoke and towards him. One was tied as quickly and efficiently as Peterlin. The other was already screaming "attack" into a walkie-talkie when Batman knocked him out.

As Batman walked out the room, he dropped a small vial of knockout gas. There was not enough to get into the castle system but there was enough to keep the three men quiet for a while.

He snapped on his communicator. "Diana, Flash, get ready for visitors," he said and signed off.

He went to change clothes. It was time Bruce Wayne returned to the party.

-------------------------------

Diana heard the click of the communicator turning off so she did not bother to verbally acknowledge the message from Batman. She was standing inside a small parlor with the entire bridal party. There was a short hallway between the parlor and the wedding reception which both Flash and Diana figured was enough space to keep innocent by-standers from getting involved.

When hearing what Flash had to say, Audrey decided that it would look better if the entire wedding party stepped into the room. Diana had not gotten there in time to put a stop to that, but she had insisted that Flash stay and that party keep away from windows and doors. She could tell that most of the people they were protecting were not used to giving orders and she didn't care. Diana was used to having her orders obeyed immediately. And since Wonder Woman could actually force her will upon them, the wedding party members obeyed as well.

Flash flirted shamelessly with the bridesmaids while they waited for something to happen. Diana had wanted to snap at him for the foolish behavior but then held back when she realized that he was distracting them nicely. And when they heard crashing outside, Flash was instantly at her side.

"Gas and bullets," he said. "I suggest we play to our strengths."

Diana nodded and watched as Flash flew out of the door, leaving it open. Diana was in her defensive position and ready. After a second, she heard the sound of glass shattering and air moving so she carefully walked into the hallway.

There were five men dressed in the same uniform that she had seen in the lab where Batman had been. One of them was holding an empty bottle and Flash was moving a cloud towards the newly broken window. The other four had guns drawn.

"Incoming!" Diana cried as the first round of bullets flew. Flash dodged them all and Diana deflected the one that made it towards her.

She flew at them, deflecting bullets as she did. Two quickly found themselves flying into the wall. Flash was distracting the guy who had exchanged his empty bottle for a gun. Diana turned around and saw the other two running towards the parlor. She flew towards them and knocked them both down, but not out, as she got between them and the parlor door. There was a scream from inside the room but Diana ignored it – no one was hurt, just scared.

The first guard up got Diana's shoe firmly across his head and knocked him out. The second took advantage of her distraction and kicked her at the back of her knees, knocking her down, but as she fell, she reached for his waistband and managed to yank him down beside her. She felt Flash grab the gun out of his hand and she punched the goon, knocking him out as well.

"Audrey," she said calmly. "Get your security. We have something for them."

Audrey, trying to pull herself together and appear with a regal air, came beside Diana.

"Of course. Thank you, Diana."

Diana smiled. "I would like to attend one of your weddings without someone shooting at me," she said lightly.

She and Flash walked with Audrey to the end of the hallway and back into the ballroom where Audrey's security guards had been under strict orders to calmly and without causing a panic among the guests. Bruce Wayne was calmly and coolly leaning close to the door, chatting with a security guard who was trying to get him to join the rest of the party.

"Mr. Wayne," Diana said when they opened the door. "Are you causing trouble?"

Bruce didn't answer. He stared at Diana with a mixture of shock and barely contained lust. She cocked an eyebrow at him but then noticed the security guard had the same expression. She looked down.

Her dress was in shreds. Although the silk and lace of the dress had been perfect for the actually ceremony and party, it was not up to flying and fighting. The dress was torn in several places exposing a lot of leg. The bodice had not faired much better and was exposing more cleavage than she would have liked and there was a gash that exposed most of her stomach. She was barely decent.

She looked at Flash who looked like he was trying hard not to laugh.

"All right, next time I change," she growled and stormed to her room for a new dress.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_I need so/To stay in your arms see you smile hold you close/And it weighs on me_: Dave Matthews Band

Diana returned fifteen minutes later in a black cocktail dress. The party was back in full swing, although the crowd was smaller. Flash was enjoying himself, eating and dancing with bridesmaids. Bruce was mingling with the dwindling crowd of extremely rich people who had taken part in the earlier tour. She decided she would join Flash before chatting with Bruce when Andris joined her.

"I can't believe you did all that!" he said, clearly still a little shaken by everything that had just occurred.

She had no response so she just looked at him waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath, clearly still trying to calm himself.

"Thank you. Thank you for protecting us," he said finally.

"Of course," she said lightly.

"I had heard from Audrey about how you had helped her but I had no idea. I guess I just needed to see it to believe it," he said.

Diana felt her smile fade a bit. She had heard that tone of voice before but not from him. It instantly separated them. She wasn't a person anymore. She was a hero. He was a fan. A sense of unworthiness flowed off him that Diana found repellant. One of the reasons why she and Audrey had remained friends was because the queen had attached to the person and not the powers. Diana sighed. She treasured the idea of friends outside the League and as time passed, she realized it was nearly impossible.

Flash joined the pair. "Hey guys," he said warmly. "Is this a great party or what?"

Andris gushed over Flash for a bit which Flash seemed to enjoy but eventually, Andris wandered back to the wedding party who were clumped together chattering quietly. Flash smiled at Diana.

"Hope I wasn't interrupting," he whispered. "Bats said you needed help losing the puppy." He nodded towards the bridal party. "How are they holding up, you think?"

Diana considered. To her, it hadn't been particularly challenging. But she understood that her "normal" and their "normal" were completely different.

"They will be all right," she said. "They didn't actually see anything and they really were not in any real danger. More than, perhaps, they are used to, but nothing real."

Flash grinned. "Ah, but they think they were. There is at least one bridesmaid who thinks I saved her life. And she thinks I'm hot."

Diana looked at him, a bit confused. "But she doesn't know what you look like."

Flash looked wounded but then winked at her. "I know. Isn't it cool?" he said and wandered back over to the bridal party.

The bride and groom made their departure 45 minutes later. Diana and Andris were left to perform maid of honor and best man duties. As far as Diana could tell, that primarily consisted of making sure the bridal party and the guests were sober enough to get to their rooms. She also made sure those guests who were leaving were being driven or flown away from the castle by someone else. She realized she hadn't seen Flash or Bruce leave.

Finally, when Diana and Andris were the only two guests left, he brought her a glass of wine and motioned to a couple of chairs. They sipped in silence for a few moments as they watched the staff cleaning up after the party.

Finally, Andris broke the silence.

"I think it was a good party," he said blandly.

"It was," Diana answered quickly. "Audrey and Gergely seemed happy. I am sure their honeymoon will be quite the celebration."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes when finally Andris excused himself and headed off to his room. Diana finished off her wine and then left the room.

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Figuring that he was no longer welcome at the brunch the following morning, Bruce decided that he would head back to Gotham that evening. Diana had been busy with various duties and had not been able to talk to her. He made sure he slipped away unobserved; he changed back into Batman and flew the Batplane back to the Cave.

He wandered around the Cave, not particularly interested in his work when his cell phone rang. He recognized the number.

"Bruce Wayne here," he said.

"Bruce! Where are you?" Queen Audrey said. "I saw you after the little incident but now you are gone! I wanted to let you know that we still want you at the brunch tomorrow even though obviously Peterlin will not be there."

"That would be fine. I am looking forward to it," he said.

And realized he was.

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Diana unlocked the door to her room, trying to decide if a long bath was what she wanted or if she just wanted to go to sleep. Neither sounded right.

"You're keeping late hours," she heard a familiar voice say with a bit of a smirk.

He was sitting in a straight back chair in a dark corner of her room. He actually was dressed as Bruce Wayne but it was the Batman voice he was using. Diana actually found the combination quite desirable.

She smiled and decided to play along. She took off her shoes. "You should talk," she said. "Are you checking up on me?"

"Yes," he said, softly, standing up and crossing over to her. "I wanted to make sure you were alone tonight."

She smiled seductively at him. "And why would that matter to you?"

He smiled back. "Because it would be a terrible waste and I would want to rectify it immediately."

When he kissed her, she decided that perhaps a little jealously, while stupid and pointless, wasn't all bad. She noticed he had a small black duffel bag under the chair and she laughed to herself.

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A knock on the door woke them both the following morning.

"Diana," Andris voice called through the door. "The brunch is still on. You need to be downstairs in an hour."

"Invite him in," Bruce whispered to her.

She smacked him lightly on the chest. "Grow up," she hissed.

"Thank you," she called to Andris. "I'll be there."

They listened as his footsteps continued down the hallway. A moment later, they heard him giving another room a similar reminder.

Diana rolled over so she was facing Bruce and propped herself up on her elbow and rested her head on her hand. "I don't want to go to brunch," she said with a groan.

"I have to go," Bruce said with a sly grin. "The queen invited me personally."

"Did she," Diana said in a teasing tone. "Whatever did you do to gain such favor?"

"Hum," Bruce said lightly, walking his fingers up her side. "I am not sure I should tell you."

Diana smiled at him, a vision of innocence and understanding. "Well, I am only a princess. I understand that queens get special favors."

Bruce growled in mock anger and the two wrestled playfully for a few minutes before they realized they needed to get ready for the brunch.

Before they left for the brunch, Diana kissed Bruce tenderly. Then she slipped out into the hallway and walked towards the reception hall. The hallway was empty. She activated her communicator.

"Hallway clear," she said and turned it off. A few moments later she heard the door open and the familiar sound of Bruce's footsteps.

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The brunch was dull, just as Diana was sure it would be. The bridal party members were too tired and, in some cases hung-over, so the conversation was light. Bruce, who Audrey had placed between Diana and the queen, had laughed when he saw his place card. Diana did not understand why.

Andris was across the table from her.

Bruce primarily spoke to Audrey, Andris spoke to Gergely who was sitting next to him and Diana made small talk with the groomsman on her other side.

Bruce gave her a quick farewell at the brunch table before he returned to Gotham. Andris said goodbye quickly and quietly. He clearly was more afraid of her now than he had ever been interested. Once again, Diana felt the sadness of a friendship lost.

She was thrilled when the event was over and Audrey and Gergely left for their honeymoon. She packed in a matter of seconds and was transported back to the Watchtower.

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When Batman walked into the conference room for the staff meeting the following morning, Flash and Diana were once again looking at a newspaper and laughing. Flash was laughing so hard, the exposed portion of his face had turned red. Diana was not laughing as hard but clearly was trying to keep up. In fact, Batman realized that she was only laughing as a cover for Flash.

"Bats!" Flash laughed. "Look! Now the paper has you and Wondy as a couple! As if!" Flash slid the paper over and there was a photo of the two of them leaving the brunch together. The caption suggested that Diana had "left" the duke for Bruce.

Superman, Green Lantern and J'onn arrived before Batman had time to do anything other than glare at Flash. When Superman saw the photo he smiled and teasingly suggested she looked happier when she was photographed with Andris. Lantern agreed. J'onn looked at Batman with an expression he could not immediately place but said nothing. The meeting was underway.

After briefing the team on the relevant events from Kasnia, Batman leaned over the table slightly.

"Whoever was funding those two will find someone else to fund. I need to deduce what the purpose of the research was and who would want it for what. This cannot slide off the radar. This will come back."

On that note, Superman adjourned the meeting. As Batman made his usual bolt for the door Diana said "Batman, a minute if you please."

"Only if it is a minute. I've got work," he snarled.

They waited silently for the room to empty out. Batman glared at Diana who looked mildly bored.

When they were alone, Diana looked at him for a moment.

"That is why the gossip about Andris didn't bother me," she said. "Because no one believed that and no one believes you and I could be together. It gave us some cover in case we were photographed."

He looked at her but didn't say anything.

"I just wanted you to know," she said. "I don't know how long we will be together. I hope a long time. But I am going to have male friends. You need to know however, that my heart is as loyal as the rest of me."

Again, he didn't answer but his body language told her he was processing everything.

"We can't be in here too long," she said and walked towards the door. "I'll see you soon."

"Diana," he said finally. His voice was gruff but not angry, more desperate and unsure.

She turned and smiled.

"I know. I love you too," she said just before the doors opened.

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AN: I hope you enjoyed it. My life is crazy now so the next story which will be a sequel to both this and "Seven Days" but it will be slow in coming.


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